Hydraulic turbine bearing: cooling mechanism



July 28, 1931. A; F. SPARKS 1,816,237

HYDRAULIC TURBINE BEARING; COOLING MECHANISM Filed March 1 1929 7 Sheets-Shed 1 FIG. I.

I ENTOR A TTORNEY Jul? 28; 1931. A. F. SPARKS HYDRAULIC TURBINE BEARINGZ COOLING MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 W JWJZW- W A TTORNEY 11v ENTOR W July Z8, 1931. A. F. SPARKS 1,816,237

HYDRAULIC TURBINE-BEARING: COOLING MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet s VENT R fMW.

A TTORNE YS July 28, 1931. A. F. SPARKS v HYDRAULIC TURBINE BEARING? COOLING MECHANISM 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 14, 1929 llLv flr M /A////// uha l l rllid I 1W NTOQR 9 W re/MM ATTQRNEY July 28, 1931. A F. SPARKS HYDRAULIC TURBINE BEARING: COOLING MFJCIIMIISM Filed March 14. 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 k VENTO {F ATTORNEY July 28, 1931.

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7 Sheets-Sheet 7 A TTORNE Y Patented J uly 28, 1931 I pum g- PATENT OFFICE ALBERT F, SPARKS, OF SPRINGFIELD, OIIIO, ASSIGNOR -TO' THE JAMES LEFFEL &

COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO HYDRAULIOTIIRBINE BEARING: COOLING MECHANISM I A lication filed March 14, 1929. serialno. 347,056.

I My invention relates to the cooling of bearings and in particular to the cooling of remote bearings of hydraulic turbines. I

' It is afurther object of my invention to provide automatic'cooling of these bearings the lubricant; so that the lubricant being ap- I cool the bearing and maintain proper lubriby delivering water thereto from'thehead waters and-into the tail waters of the turbine installation v v I It is theobject'oi my invention to provide '10 for cireulationof'water fromthe head waters through t ee. 'It jean object of invention to provide for thedischarge of'the water through the thebearing and thence to the draft 15 bearing {from the'headwaters into the "disr 'r a a "It is an-a'dditional' object to provide means of irculating lubricant toabearing, and of circulating water through a casing containing plied to the bearing will be properly I cooled and intum cool-the bearing. j

Itis' my 'ob'ect-to provide 'for thecircula- 7 due to the induction action of tion of water the 'outg'omg water upon thewater line/ I It'isa furtherfobject to provide an arrangement fsothat water may be syphoned through the bearing.

Referring to the drawings: 7 Figurel isaside' levation of an instal- "lation in which the water circulation is from the head waters through the bearingto the tail water's. j" y Figure 2 is adiagrammatic 'view of the same construction;

- Figure 3 is a diagrammatic viewof the lubrication of the water system, showing the piping therefor with respect to the bearing easing'and the bearing.

' "Figure 4 is adetall section showing the arrangement of the lubrication, and cooling system pipes with'respect'to the turbine runner' shaft and the bearing blocks.

Figure h is adetail top plan view of the bearingjcasi'ng. I y

' i Figure 6 is a section on the'line 8+8of 'be'aringcasingp V Figure 7 is a to'p'plan view of the casing with the manifold co'ver rernovedp a 7', showingthe manifold top of the Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 is a power house in which is located an electric generator 2, driven by the hydraulic turbine runner shaft 3. The turbine is designated 4 and is provided with an outlet draft tube 5,

casing generally designated 10, to which lubricant is delivered from the grease compressor 11 by the pipe 12, and from which'grease is returned by the pi-pe13'to the grease receptacle 14,whence it can be seen as it discharges in order to determine the state of lubrication of the bearing. r

In order to cool this grease and to thereby eating conditions, I provide a cooling system to wh1ch water may be supplied in a variety of ways.

For instance, the water may be taken in through the inlet line 15 from the head waters 8, delivered to the bearing casing 10 and re- -moved by the outlet pipe 16, where it may discharge into the draft tube as at 17. 1

.When the discharge is into thedraft tube the suction in the draft tube serves to draw the water through the water circulation system.

Turning to the casing 10, it will be noted that the casing is provided with a cover composed of the halves 20 and 21. Such halves comprise a water circulation manifold. This manifold is provided with a central aperture 22 in which rotates the runner shaft 3. Packings 23 are provided for sealing the engagement between the manifold top of the casing 10 and the runner shaft 3. The water enters through the inlet pipe 15 into the annular chamber 24, thence downwardly through the depending pipe 25 which extendsto a point near the bottom of the casing within a well'26. It is spaced from the bottom 27 of the well so that the water can pass down through the pipe 25-and up through the well 26 into the outlet manifold passageway 28 and thence out the exit pipe 16.

This well 26 with the inside pipe 25 1s suspended into the lubricant in the casing 10 as will more fully seen in Figure 7. I have illustrated four of these depending wells and supply pipes which are located in the lubricant adjacent the bearing blocks 29. These blocks are held in cages 30 and are ad justably positioned by the screws 31. Thus, the lubricant closely adjacent to the bearing blocks is cooled, the bearings are in turn cooled and the lubricant and bearings both maintained in a proper condition.

The lul'iricant is also caused to circulate over these well tubes and over the bearing loclrs hereinbefore described.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications may be necessary to adapt it tovarying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully describedmy invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination in a hydraulic turbine of a rotating shaft, bearings therefor, a casing around said bearings and shaft containing lubricant, a distribution manifold cover on said casing, an inlet water pipeconnected thereto, an outlet water pipe connected thereto and depending well members extending through the lubricant in said casing in communication with the outlet members and spaced depending" inlet pipes in said well members connected to the inlet member, whereby water is circulated through the lubricant.

2. In combination in a hydraulic turbine of a rotating shaft, bearings therefor, a casing around said bearings and shaft containing lubricant, a distribution manifoldcover on said casing, an inlet water p pe connected thereto, an outlet pipe connected thereto and depending well members extending through the lubricant in said casing in communication with the outlet nien'lbers and spaced depending inlet Plpfifi in said well members connected to the inlet member, whereby water is circulated thrc 'h the lubricant, said inlet member having is free end in the head waters flowing uno turbine and its outlet end of the outlet member in the outgoing water flowing from the turbine.

In a hydraulic turbine, a runner shaf bearings the or, a cising surrounding t bearir con 1 ning lubricant, a water distrilziution manifolr. for 3 .e top of said casin water circula o )ipes depending "b7 i therefrom into the lubricant, and inlet and exit pipes communicating with the water flowing through the turbine for deliiering water hlll'i) ing, which water is induced in its he movement of the water thrruigrh t 4. In a hydraulic turbine, a runner shaft,

bearings therefor, a casing surrounding the bearings containing lubricant, a water distribution manifold forming the top of said casing, water circulation pipes depending therefrom into the lubricant, and inlet and exit pipes communicating with the Water flowing through thezturbine for adelivering water through the casing, which water is induced in flow by the movement of the water through the turbine, and means --for water through :the casing,--Wl ich-water is induced in its flow .by the ;-move1 n ent .of the Water t r ug the turbine, rnl ans'i or circulating lubricant through said casing under pressure,,and means of io'bser-ving said circulation in order to determine-the rcolldii'f tion of the lubrication at a iremoteapointfrom the point of causing the circulation.

6. In a hydraulic turbine a runner-shaft, ai g there or, a ca nga imd asaid abearings, a cover comprising -watel'zmanifolds fi having superimposed inlet and outletchambers,;a pipe depending from thenpper chamber openat its bottom to i a rpoint neantherbottom of the casing, a-second pipespaced-from the bottom and the sides of the first ,pipe hav-t ing an open top with a closed bottom, said second pipe communicating with thelower Water chamben an inlet waterpipeconnected to-the upper chamber atione end and the head Waters associated with the turbine :at 1the' i other end, an outletpipe connected atonegend to the lower Water chamber-and its free-end located in the outgoing waters from the turbine.

7. In a. hydraulic turbine, a runner -shaft,. bearings therefor, a caslng around saidbearings, a cover comprising :Wa tcr manifolds having superlmposed inlet and outlet chambers, a-p1 pe dependingfrom the upper ber open at its bottom to point nearqthe bottom of the easing, a second pipe spaced from the bottom and the sides of the first pipe having aniopentop with acloseid bottom, said second pipe communicating with the lower Water chamber, an inlet Water pipe connected to the upper chamber at onerend and the head Waters associated-With the turbine at the other end, an outlet pipe connected at one end to the lower water chamber and its free end located in the outgoing Waters from the turbine,a casing being adapted to contain lubricant around said depending pipes, and means for circulatingsaiddubricant therein over Said pipes.

8. In a hydraulicturbine, a nmner shaft,

bearings therefor, a casing around said bearings, a cover comprising water manifolds having superimposed inlet and outlet chambers, a pipe depending from the upper chamber open at its bottom to a point near the bottom of the casing, asecond pipe spaced from the bottom andthe sides of the first pipehaving an open top with a closed bottom, said second pipe communicating with the lower water chamber, an inlet water pipe connected to the upper chamber at one end and the head waters associated with the turbine at the other end, an outlet pipe connected at one end to the lower water chamber and its free end located in the outgoing waters from the turbine, a casing being adapted to contain lubricant around said depending pipes, and means for circulatin said lubricant therein over said pipes un er pressure. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALBERT F. SPARKS. 

